Business & Finance

China’s September Exports Jump 36.3% to $447.18 bn, Driven by Tech Trade

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China’s September Exports Jump 36.3% to $447.18 bn, Driven by Tech Trade
Photo: A drone view shows electric vehicles for export and containers sitting at a port in Shanghai, China, on April 13, 2025 [China Daily via Reuters]

Exports from China rose 36.3 percent year‑on‑year in September, reaching $447.18 bn, the largest monthly increase since 2021, according to government figures released on Wednesday. The rise followed a 25 percent gain in August. The surge was led by tech trade: semiconductor exports grew more than 108 percent and shipments of automatic data processing machines increased nearly 55 percent. Imports also climbed 31 percent year‑on‑year, up from 28.2 percent in August, as reported by the General Administration of Customs.

HSBC economist Taylor Wang said high‑tech demand, supported by the global and domestic AI upcycle, was the key driver, while China’s pricing and supply‑chain competitiveness in other major export categories helped sustain momentum.

For the first nine months of the year, total exports rose 21.3 percent to $3.37 trillion, while imports increased 27.5 percent to $2.43 trillion, giving China a trade surplus of $938.1 bn.

ASEAN remained China’s largest export market, with exports to the region up more than 52 percent in September to $81.7 bn. Exports to the European Union grew 25.3 percent to $60.15 bn, and shipments to the United States jumped 39.6 percent to $47.88 bn.

China’s economy is expected to grow 4.5 percent in 2026, the slowest expansion since 1990 outside the pandemic years, according to the IMF. ING chief economist for Greater China Lynn Song told Al Jazeera that strong export growth should keep China on track to meet its 2026 target of 4.5‑5 percent, but noted that domestic data remain soft and that rebalance of growth will be important for long‑term targets.

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